Marilyn Cahatol

Article (news)

Pia Gutierrez

ABS-CBN News

<div><strong>WARNING: Mention of abuse.</strong></div><div><br/></div><p>MANILA — Follow-up investigations revealed more alleged violations by the New Life Baptist Church of Mexico, Pampanga, Inc. (NLBCMPI), according to a Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) official Monday.</p><p>The DSWD earlier <a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/regions/2025/8/14/160-children-allegedly-abused-in-pampanga-now-safe-with-dswd-1915">rescued </a>some 160 children from the private Pampanga care facility following numerous complaints of child abuse. Authorities have also ordered the facility to cease operations and arrested the American director of the facility.</p><p>DSWD spokesperson Assistant Secretary Irene Dumlao said their investigators discovered heavy chains, padlocks, and barbed wire within the residential care facility. This, as she noted troubling accounts from several residents that they had been repeatedly locked up inside bathrooms, or beaten as a form of &quot;discipline.&quot;</p><div><br/></div><div><strong>&#x27;UNACCEPTABLE&#x27;</strong></div><div><br/></div><p>“So, nagkuwento po ang ilan sa mga residents, ang ilan sa mga bata at sinabi nga po na bahagi ng pagdidisiplina sa kanila ay ikinukulong sila sa comfort room or sa restroom at hindi po napapakain; mayroon din po iyong pinapalo sila noong yantok—iyong ginagamit po sa arnis; mayroon din pong nagkuwento na sila ay tinali sa paa gamit ang chain na parang aso pero mas malaki lang daw iyong chain,” Dumlao said. </p><p>“So, itong mga kuwento ng mga batang ito ay definitely unacceptable sa DSWD. Tayo po ay lead in social protection, tayo po ay pumuprotekta sa mga bata, tayo po ay nagtitiyak at nagsisiguro na ang pangangailangan po ng vulnerable sector na ito ay natutugunan at ang kanila pong mga karapatan ay naigagalang.”</p><p>Aside from serious allegations of physical, verbal, and psychological abuse experienced by the children, the DSWD also discovered the facility’s serious lack of adequate facilities and personnel.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/8/18/dswd-provides-trauma-support-to-160-kids-rescued-for-alleged-abuse-in-pampanga-1054">DSWD provides trauma support to 160 kids rescued for alleged abuse in Pampanga</a></div><p>“Napansin natin doon sa facility kasi nakita natin na iyong ibang bata nagshi-share sila doon sa bed. Eh hindi dapat, dapat isa ‘no, isang kama para sa isang bata,” she said</p><p>“Nakita rin natin na may kakulangan sa mga personnel doon po sa residential care center. Iyon pong mga staff kasi, dapat mayroon kang social worker, may mga house parents and mayroong social worker ratio po na naka-set bilang bahagi again ng ating standards. So, kung dalawa lang iyong kanilang social workers na nag-a-assess at nagki-case manage noong 136 residents na ipinaulat nila sa DSWD, this would result in an excessive case-load na maghi-hinder nga po sa pag-provide po noong provision ng individualized at timely services,” Dumlao continued.</p><div><br/></div><div><strong>DONATIONS</strong></div><div><br/></div><p>There was also a lack of proper documentation of donations received by the facility, she added.</p><p>“Napansin po ng atin pong mga staff na walang kaukulang mga official receipts or acknowledgements ng mga donasyon na natanggap nitong residential care center na ito. Kung makikita mo kasi iyong record niya, sila ay nag-o-operate based nga po on donations,&quot; Dumlao said.</p><p>&quot;So mahalaga na mayroon pong proper accounting ng mga donasyon na natanggap nila kasi bahagi iyon ng transparency na isinusulong natin particularly nga iyong proper handling, documentation, pati na iyong utilization ng mga resources na natanggap po nila,” she added.</p><p>While the <a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/regions/2025/8/15/dswd-probes-alleged-abuse-of-children-in-pampanga-facility-1305">investigation </a>is still ongoing, Dumlao noted that there is a risk that the facility will be blacklisted from the DSWD’s registry of Social Welfare and Development Agencies, on top of the revocation of its registration and license to operate.</p><div><br/></div><div><strong>RELATED VIDEO</strong></div><div><span class="fr-video fr-deletable fr-fvc fr-dvb fr-draggable" contenteditable="false" draggable="true"><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/aWwCWD6qlCg?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span><br/></div><div style="text-align:center"><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/tekSzmTeX54?si=kHVVjlqjVQgXSRpw" title="YouTube video player" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe><br/></div>

<p>Warning: Mention of abuse.</p>
<p>The DSWD said their investigators discovered heavy chains, padlocks, and barbed wire within the residential care facility.</p>

Warning: Mention of abuse. The DSWD said their investigators discovered heavy chains, padlocks, and barbed wire within the residential care facility.

DSWD notes more violations of New Life Baptist Church in Pampanga

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DSWD notes more violations of New Life Baptist Church in Pampanga

Pia Gutierrez,

ABS-CBN News

Published Aug 18, 2025 03:53 PM PHT

|

Updated Aug 18, 2025 07:36 PM PHT

Read More:

New Life Baptist Church of Mexico

Pampanga

Inc.

DSWD

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